FinMin Notifies Reallocation of Jurisdiction among Debt Recovery Tribunals in West Bengal and Andaman & Nicobar Islands [Read Order]

The Ministry of Finance, Government of India, has issued a Notification dated December 16, 2025, announcing a reallocation of territorial jurisdiction among Debt Recovery Tribunals (DRTs) in West Bengal and the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The notification was issued by theDepartment of Financial Services under the Recovery of Debts and Bankruptcy Act, 1993.

The notification amends an earlier government notification issued on March 15, 2017, and aims to clearly define the areas that fall under the jurisdiction of different DRTs. The changes have been made in exercise of powers under Section 3 of the Act, which empowers the Central Government to establish and define the jurisdiction of DRTs.

Key Changes Introduced

The amendment substitutes the jurisdictional entries in Column (4) of the table in the 2017 notification for Serial Numbers 2, 3, and 4.

1. Jurisdiction under Serial No. 2 (One of the DRTs)

This DRT will now have jurisdiction over:

All districts of West Bengal, except:

• Kolkata City
• Howrah
• Hooghly
• South 24 Parganas
• Darjeeling
• Jalpaiguri
• Coochbehar
• Uttar Dinajpur
• Dakshin Dinajpur
• Malda
• Murshidabad
• Birbhum
• Alipurduar
• Kalimpong
• Entire Union Territory of Andaman & Nicobar Islands

2. Jurisdiction under Serial No. 3 (Kolkata-focused DRT)

This DRT will have jurisdiction over:

Kolkata City, limited to areas under the following police stations:

• Shyampukur
• Jorabagan
• Burtolla
• Burrabazar
• Posta
• Jorasanko
• Amherst Street

Any new police stations that may be created in the future within:

• Kolkata City
• South 24 Parganas District, West Bengal

This ensures automatic inclusion of future administrative changes without issuing a fresh notification.

3. Jurisdiction under Serial No. 4 (North & Central Bengal DRT)

This DRT will cover the following districts of West Bengal:

• Darjeeling
• Jalpaiguri
• Coochbehar
• Uttar Dinajpur
• Dakshin Dinajpur
• Malda
• Murshidabad
• Birbhum
• Alipurduar
• Kalimpong

The revised jurisdiction is expected to bring greater clarity for banks, financial institutions, and borrowers when filing debt recovery cases. This move may help balance the workload among tribunals and reduce procedural delays caused by jurisdictional confusion.

The notification was signed by Sudhir Shyam, Economic Advisor in the Ministry of Finance, and has been published in the Gazette of India. The changes come into effect from the date of publication and will apply to all new filings going forward.

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